The National Environment Management Authority – NEMA has banned plastic garbage disposal bags.
In a notice dated April 8th, Nema said Kenyans have 90 days to stop using plastic bags from the date of the notice.
The Authority has directed all garbage to be carried in bio-degradable garbage bags. It has also directed all county governments and private waste service providers licensed by Nema to provide their clients with 100pc biodegradable bags.
In 2017, NEMA banned the manufacture, importation and use of polythene plastic bags but while Kenyans have largely switched to eco-friendlier alternatives, the use of plastic bags for waste collection has remained.
The ban came with penalties of up to a four-year jail term or a Ksh.4 million fine for offenders.
The directive is in line with Section 12 of the Sustainable Waste Management Act, 2022 which requires all public and private sector entities to segregate non-hazardous waste into organic and non-organic fractions and then place it in properly labeled and color-coded bins for waste service providers to collect, handle and transport it.
By Wangari Kanyongo